Shortly before the Super Bowl in San Francisco, Germany’s NFL boss Dr. Alexander Steinforth announces the direction in which the league’s internationalization plans are developing. There is a clear goal.

NFL Germany boss Dr. Alexander Steinforth did not beat around the bush when he spoke to German journalists about the NFL’s internationalization plans: “As a league, we have set ourselves the goal of being the most global sports league in the world.”

Steinforth, who has been responsible for the NFL’s business in Germany since 2021, emphasized the path the NFL intends to continue pursuing in the future: “For us, global means that we want to be the first league to consistently attempt to establish a global series of games.”

NFL international: Nine international games in 2026

In 2026, there will be more international games than ever before in the history of the National Football League. A total of nine games will be played outside the US: three games in London and one each in Mexico City, Melbourne, Munich, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Paris.

Steinforth clearly emphasized the importance of the German market: “If we reach a point where several games are to be held in one country, Germany would certainly be one of the first markets where feasibility would be examined.”

NFL games possible around the world

“There are destinations outside Europe that are interested and are currently being looked at,” said the 41-year-old when asked about games in the Middle East or Asia.

The NFL has a clear plan when it comes to selecting countries and cities: “We have a very clear strategy for how we proceed. The starting point is always the question of the stadium.

We then look at the local conditions and check whether there might be an even better alternative. One example of this is Brazil. We had great games in Sao Paulo, but we have now found a set-up that allows us to do even more.”

Steinforth did not reveal which teams will play in Munich in 2026: “There is a clear tendency as to when we will play there and also which home team it will be. But the decision is not yet final.”